The other side of beauty

by maximusaurus

There are things that most people seem to dislike, such as rainy weather, snakes, spiders, and sharks. These things do not fit the popular mould of beauty; they are not mild, or cuddly, or cute.

Yet I’ve always felt they are profoundly under-appreciated.

Take rain for example. It washes the world clean, it nourishes life, and it leaves the air feeling fresh and energized. I’ve always loved the rain, and I prefer it to sunny weather. I love standing outside in the rain and feeling the drops hit my face. It makes me feel alive.

Then there’s snakes, spiders, and sharks. Most people seem to be afraid of them, they find them creepy. And to be fair, I wouldn’t jump into a shark tank or pick up a Redback. But there’s so much more to these animals, be it the gracefulness of a shark, the elegance of a snake, or the patience and remarkably intricate web-building of a spider.

They’re an essential part of our ecosystem; get rid of the snakes and there would be a lot more mice and rats about, and a lot more mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches if you got rid of spiders.

And really, they are not as dangerous as they are cracked up to be. Most spiders are nether aggressive nor particularly venomous to humans. Huntsmans, for instance, are less dangerous than a honey bee. Along with snakes, they are much more afraid of you, and will usually avoid a confrontation at all costs; you’re basically Godzilla to them, after all.

As for sharks, well, the list of things statistically more likely to kill you than a shark includes donkeys, coconuts, champagne corks, football, ladders, cows, lightning, and vending machines.

That which is unusual is often written off as creepy, or ugly. But the way I see it, if I dismissed everything unusual, I’d be missing out on some of the most awesome things in life.

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One Comment to “The other side of beauty”

Too true. I love looking at spider webs covered in dew. I may not be a fan of spiders yet I appreciate what they do getting rid of other insects. Spiders co-exist in my house with me. We know not to get in each others ways. I do have to sweep away cobwebs when it gets out of hand though.

I am a big fan of the rain. We were in Melbourne recently and wow, when it rains there it pours. The lightning woke me up before the thunder. Spectacular weather. It was all gone by the time I woke up properly. 🙂

I can hear a possum outside the window right now, sounds like a fire breathing dragon. I had to take my headphones off! Wondered what the noise was. Cuter to look at than they sound. Again they are not so popular, classed as a pest for the diseases that they carry but despite that I am a fan.